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Wedge help for newbies

SuperStroke
bigswinger83

bigswinger83

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So, the last time I played this game I had a PW and a SW.

Now, after picking up some new clubs recently, and at the advice of the gentleman fitting me, I have a

PW
52
56
60

So my questions is, what wedge do I use for what? The PW is pretty straight forward...but then the 52 is an approach wedge (120 yard?) , the 56 is a gap wedge (100 yards?). and the 60 is a sand wedge (10-80 yards?)

I have all these tools in my bag and I've been winging it so far and doing okay, but a little direction would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!
 
There really is no set in stone way. Some prefer to use them as an extension of their iron set, so full swings can happen inside of 100 yards and such. Others use them for their versatility in unique lies and shot shaping. My person preference is to not use them for full swings, but many others on THP, like them that way. I carry two wedges, and use them for their versatility around the greens in facing different shots.
 
So the higher the angle, the more it is going to pop up, so maybe use my PW and 52 for full swing approach shots, and the 56 and 60 for shorter chip type shots or popping out of bunkers?
 
i think only you can determine how far you should be hitting your wedges. as far as the types of shots to hit, some of it is dependent on your course conditions, some is dependent on the bounce configuration of your wedges.

for me, pw and gw are almost exclusively full swing clubs. every now and then i will use one or the other for a bump and run, but not often. sw is a full swing club, a longer greenside bunker club, and a short pitch and run club. lw is a full swing club, and a workhorse around the greens that i use for almost everything because its bounce and grind configuration is great for me.
 
bigswinger83 said:
So the higher the angle, the more it is going to pop up, so maybe use my PW and 52 for full swing approach shots, and the 56 and 60 for shorter chip type shots or popping out of bunkers?
Click to expand...

In general, the higher the loft the higher it will launch at impact, but in a perfect world, all of your clubs would go the same peak height. So the higher the loft will go less distance.
 
I tend to use mine like this - I choose club based on the amount of runout I desire, how far to hole, and how quickly a shot needs to get up or stop:

PW (46*) - like what you are probably used to - full swing mostly, and pitches or chips where you want a bit lower trajectory and more run out

Gap Wedge (50-52*) - like a weak lofted pitching wedge, full swings and partial swings, more useful around the green. I tend to chip more with this wedge much more than pitching wedge. Same for pitch shots, I am more likely to make a partial swing with this club than a PW. Very long bunker shots.

Sand Wedge (54-56*) - Also can be a full swing club, but if I have to hit it hard I'd rather hit the gap wedge. Control is preferred. Used for most shots under 100 yards, most versatile bunker wedge, great from medium range around the green as long as not too short sided to the pin.

Lob Wedge (58-60*) - Short/high bunker shots, gnarly lies/cabbage, and when you need to get it up and/or stop in a hurry. I prefer not to pitch more than 50-60 yards with this club as I feel distance control is more difficult than with Sand Wedge. Again, I go for control, and generally don;t try to swing too hard with wedges. Lob wedge is a primarily a get out of jail club for me, not so much from the fairway.
 
I use a similar configuration to graniteroost and use my wedges the same way. I use my 56* for almost everything near the green. The 60* is for up high, down quick, little roll out. I.e. The pin is 3' on the green and I'm on the other side of a bunker, so I want the ball to clear the bunker and not have the ball run clear across the green.


Sent from the magic know everything box in my pocket
 
I have set PW and AW which I will use for full swing distances and for chips around the green where I want more rollout. Then I have two additional wedges that I only use around the green. One with a low bounce and a grind designed specifically for hard turf and sand; and one with a high bounce and a grind designed for soft sand and thick rough. So green side, I let my lie determine which wedge to use and not the loft (or distance).
 
The name or number on the club doesn't really matter. Each clubs goes a certain distance on full swings, 3/4 swings, 1/2 swings, etc. Use the club that works best for the conditions faced on the shot. For specialty shots around the green and green side bunkers I like to use my most lofted club. I use any other club to pitch or chip the ball depending on the shot. (My wedges have a variable / universal type grind so I don't have to think about particular bounces for particular shots.)
 
I have set yardages for my wedges , also 52°, 56°, 60°. But there are times when I do different things. I mostly hit my 56° from the sand, but if I need to get it up fast I'll use the 60°, if I need a longish greenside bunker shot I'll use the 52°. I hit the 60° 80 yards or so, but if I want to hit a runner to a back pin I might hit the 52°. I really just depends. What you have there is a nice setup that has a lot of versatility. I like to go to the range and mess around with hitting them low, with spin, high so they land soft. Experiment.
 
Can somebody speak to bounce, I have no idea what bounce to get for my wedges and what the advantages/disadvantages are for more or less bounce. I play in New England, sand is usually kinda wet/hard and not much of an issue getting buried in it.


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I have 50°, 54° and 58° wedges. I use the 50° for "feel" shots where I'm between 40 100yds. Within 40 yards it's a chip shot with the 54°. The 58° is for greenside bunkers or pitching onto elevated greens from the rough.
 
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